Fire extinguisher having swivel outlet with detachable discharge horn



Sept. 7, 1965 A. E. BLACKMAN FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAVING SWIVEL OUTLET WITH DETACHABLE DISCHARGE HORN Filed Oct. 9, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN UR Alan E. Bluckmcm B & W ,{W

A TTORNE 7 Sept. 7, 1965 A. E. BLACKMAN 3,204,698

FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAVING SWIVEL OUTLET WITH DETACHABLE DISCHARGE HORN Filed Oct. 9, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Alan E. Blockmun ATrolem'iy United States Patent F 3,204,698 FIRE EXTINGUISHER HAVING SWIVEL OUTLET WITH DETACHABLE DISCHARGE HORN Alan E. Blackman, Potters Bar, Middlesex, England, assignor to The Walter Kidde Company Limited, Northolt, Greenford, Mid'dlesex, England Filed Oct. 9, 19'63, Ser. No. 315,024 Claims priority, application Great Britain, Oct. 19, 1962,

369,607/62 Claims. (Cl. 169-31) The present invention relates to fire extinguishers and in particular to fire extinguishers which utilise a pressurised fluid or free flowing substance, such as a vaporising liquid or dry powder, as the extinguishing medium. It is well known for example, to utilise readily liquefiable non-combustible gaseous substances such as carbon dioxide and certain Freon-type gases as fire extinguishing media.

In known fire extinguishers using such types of fire extinguishing media, the medium is maintained in a pressurised container from which it is released by means of a manually-operated valve. It is common practice to eject the fire-extinguishing medium from its container in liquid, or in powder form. The reason for doing so, in the case of a vaporising liquid medium, is that the rate at which the necessary gaseous blanket can be formed in the vicinity of the fire is much more rapid if the liquid is sprayed out and permitted to evaporate in the atmosphere as compared with being permitted to evaporate inside its container. Furthermore, evaporation inside the container leads to rapid cooling making the container impossible to hold and possibly leading to freezing of the liquid.

In order to achieve the desired ejection of the fire extinguishing medium in liquid or powder form, a dip tube extends from the valve at the top of the container down to a position near the bottom of the container. To achieve the desired ejection of the fire extinguishing medium in liquid or powder form, however, it is necessary to utilise the fire extinguisher in an upright position.

It has been the practice to provide a cone or horn for directing the emitted medium on to the fire, and this horn has been fitted on to a rotatable member formed on a part of the control device. One form of fire extinguisher made in this way has consisted of a normal cylindrical container having a valve on the top end thereof, the valve being provided with a pistol grip to permit onehanded operation of the extinguisher. After the discharge horn has been set to the required angle the other hand of the operator is free. This type of extinguisher has been widely used and is much favoured, but it does have the disadvantage that it cannot be utilised to reach a fire at a position close to the ground, such as under the seat of an aircraft, for example. The height of the cylindrical container and the requirement to keep the container upright do not permit this.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a portable fire extinguisher of this type which is modified in such a manner that it is capable of being utilised against fires in restricted places where the existing type of fire extinguisher is not available for use.

To achieve this result the present invention provides a fire extinguisher comprising a container for the pressurised extinguishing medium, a manually operable valve control unit secured to the container, the unit incorporating a swivel coupling, a discharge horn connected to the outlet of the swivel coupling through a flexible hose, and means for securing the discharge born to the swivel coupling for rotation therewith.

3,204,698 Patented: Sept; 7, 1965 Whilst so secured the discharge horn may be turned to any given angular position in the same way as in a conventional fire extinguisher of the type referred to above, so that the desired one-handed operation is retained. By unclipping the horn, which is then held in the other hand, the length of hose permits the horn to be insertedunderneath objects close to the ground whilstat the same time the cylinder is maintained in an upright position.

One fire extinguisher in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view, partly in section, of a fire extinguisher in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view, partly in section as viewed along the line 2- -2 of FIG. 1 and with the discharge horn and coupling not being shown.

The fire extinguisher comprises a cylindrical container 1 in which a vaporising liquid fire-extinguisher medium, such as carbon dioxide, is stored under pressure, the container having an outlet opening 2 at its upper end, from which a dip tube 3 extends down to a position near the bottom of the container. A manually operable valve control unit 4 is secured to the top of the container, and this unit incorporates a swivel coupling 11 to the outlet of which a discharge horn 5 is connected. by way of a short flexible hose 6.

The unit 4 is secured to the top of the container 1 by a screw-threaded coupling member 7 which is screwed into the outlet opening 2, and the dip tube 3 has a flange at its upper end which is supported by a shoulder on the member 7. The unit 4 comprises a control valve body 8 which is screwed onto the upper end of the coupling memher 7, a control valve closure member 9 for releasing the medium from the container, the stem of the member 9 being guided by the body 8, a pistol grip handle 10 secured to the body 8, and a trigger 12 which is operable to move the closure member 9 from its port 13 for discharging medium. The closure member 9 is biased towards its port sealing position by a spring 16 mounted in the handle 10. A seal 17 is secured between the trigger 12 and a safety pin 18 fastened to the handle 10 in a conventional manner, the seal having to be broken and the pin having been removed before the trigger can be operated.

The swivel coupling 11 comprises a tubular swivel portion 19 which is rotatably mounted in the bore of a bearing 20 secured in a cylindrical horizontally disposed cavity formed in the valve body 8, the bore of the bearing providing the discharge outlet of the valve body, an outlet element such as a nipple 22 in fluid flow connection with the tubular portion 19, and connecting means such as a post 23 which extends upwardly and is diametrically opposite the outlet nipple 22. The discharge horn 5 is coupled to a tubular handle 24 through which the hose 6 extends, the hose being connected to a nozzle 25 coupled to the inlet of the horn. The handle 24 is formed with connecting means such as a socket portion 26 which can be pushed over the: post 23 for removably connecting the discharge born to the swivel coupling, whereby the horn can be rotated with the swivel. In order to retain the horn on the swivel coupling, the post 23 is formed with a shallow annular recess 27, in which a spring-loaded ball catch 28 engages.

Whilst the horn is clipped onto the swivel coupling it can be turned to any given angular position in the same Way as in a conventional fire extinguisher, of the type referred to above sothat the desired one-handed operation is retained. By unclipping the horn, which is then held in the other hand, the length of hose permits the horn to be inserted underneath objects close to the ground, whilst at the same time maintaining the container in an upright position.

A wall bracket 29 is fastened to the container 1 for mounting the extinguisher on a wall when not in use.

It is to be understood that the invention is applicable not only to fire extinguishers which utilize a vaporising liquid extinguishing medium, but also to fire extinguishers which utilize other free flowing fluids, including in particular extinguishing media in the form of dry powders.

I claim:

1. In combination with a closure controlled discharge outlet of a portable fire extinguisher, a discharge horn; a flexible hose having one end connected to said discharge horn; a handle coupled to said horn and provided with connecting means; and a swivel coupling including a tubular portion rotatably mounted in said discharge outlet, an outlet element on and in fluid flow connection with said tubular portion and having the other end of said hose connected thereto, and connecting means on said tubular portion cooperating with said first mentioned connecting means for removably connecting said handle to said swivel coupling.

2. Structure according to claim 1, including means for retaining said connecting means connected.

3. Structure according to claim 1, wherein said outlet element extends downwardly from said tubular portion and said second mentioned connecting means extends upwardly from said tubular portion.

4. In combination with a closure controlled horizontally disposed discharge outlet of a portable fire extinguisher, a discharge horn; a flexible hose having one end connected to said discharge horn; a handle coupled to said horn and provided with a depending socket portion; and a swivel coupling including a tubular portion rotatably mounted in said discharge outlet, a depending nipple on and in fluid flow connection with said tubular portion and having the other end of said hose connected thereto, and an upright post on said tubular portion removably positioned in said socket portion for removable connecting said handle to said swivel coupling.

5. Structure according to claim 4, including a recess in said post and a catch in said socket portion for engaging in said recess.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,054,572 2/13 Langley 285-275 X 2,565,532 8/51 Stroop 222-74 X 2,674,325 8/54 Siebens 169-31 2,771,308 11/56 Vitcha et al. 285-276 X 2,926,731 3/60 Bowman et al. 16931 2,987,228 6/61 Matson 222538 X EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A CLOSURE CONTROLLED DISCHARGE OUTLET OF A PORTABLE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, A DISCHARGE HORN; A FLEXIBLE HOSE HAVING ONE END CONNECTED TO SAID DISCHARGE HORN; A HANDLE COUPLED TO SAID HORN AND PROVIDED WITH CONNECTING MEANS; AND A SWIVEL COUPLING INCLUDING A TUBULAR PORTION ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID DISCHARGE OUTLET, AN OUTLET ELEMENT ON AND IN FLUID FLOW CONNECTION WITH SAID TUBULAR PORTION AND HAVING THE OTHER END OF SAID HOSE CONNECTED THERETO, AND CONNECTING MEANS ON SAID TUBULAR PORTION COOPERATING WITH SAID FIRST MENTIONED CONNECTING MEANS FOR REMOVABLY CONNECTING SAID HANDLE TO SAID SWIVEL COUPLING. 